Harry Potter and the Marauder's Rebellion
by Rovia2323
Summary: Twelve years after Sirius' arrest, Remus discovers a horrifying truth in a photo in the Daily Prophet. Now, with information that could change the Wizarding World, he might have to turn to an unlikely ally to ensure the safety of his pup, save his best friend from a living hell, as well as bring down a corrupt headmaster. Evil!Manipulative!Dumbledore. Parental!Marauders.
1. Chapter 1

**1971**

He had always been different from the other children. When he was little, he could never understand why he couldn't play with the others, or why he would get sick so often, or why sometimes friends and family members would look at his with fear and distrust, including his own father. Now that he was older, he understood a little better, but that didn't mean that he liked it.

His earliest memory was when he had just turned four. It was late at night, and he was just getting into bed, his mother tucking him in after reading him a story. He had always liked books, would beg his mother to read to him all the time. She had then kissed him goodnight and left the room, turning off the light and pulling the door closed behind her. The only light source was that of the full moon streaming in through his bedroom window, left open in order to allow more air in.

He had been quick to fall asleep. He didn't remember what he was dreaming about, but it had been a peaceful night. He never had any reason to be afraid within his own home, always comforted by the thought that his parents were just in the next room and that no one wanted to hurt him.

A sudden crash woke him in the middle of the night. He was startled awake and sat up quickly in his bed, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Turning to face the source of the sound, he was greeted by the sight of a monster. Huge and hairy, narrowed golden eyes glaring and lips pulled back to reveal long sharp teeth, it had knocked over the side lamp when it had began to force its way in through the window.

He remembered screaming. He remembered running for the door, pulling it open and fleeing down the hall to his parents bedroom. He remembered the monster running after him, howling and snarling as it did so. He remembered his parents bedroom flying open and his father running out in his pajamas, wand drawn. He remembered his mother standing behind him, her own screams filled the hall as the monster made a grab for him. He remembered being pulled back before he could reach them, before either of them could react. He remembered the feeling of the monsters teeth sinking into his flesh, his parents yelling and his father pulling the monster away from him. He remembered the pain - oh, the pain - and his mother trying the stop the bleeding, and his father fighting off the monster and the sounds of crying before everything turned black…

He didn't know then that from that point onwards, he would never be granted the normal life that so many took for granted. That he would be cursed to suffer every month, to become the very monster that took his normal life away from him. And that resulting from his curse, he would gain three of the greatest friends he could have ever asked for.

~M~

It was impossible. He had always been told that. His father had said it. His mother had said it. The many healers that he had seen over the years had said it. It would never happen. Yet here he was sitting in the living room, the older wizard with a long silver beard sat opposite him, drinking tea from his mother's special china, and his parents sitting either side of him, staring dumbly at the unopened letter clutched in his hand.

"But… I don't think you understand. I can't go, I'm too dangerous to be around. What if I hurt someone?"

Dumbledore chuckled, "I assure you young Remus, there are plenty of precautions being made. There is a shack being built on the outskirts of Hogsmeade, quiet a cosy one I might add, that should be perfectly comfortable for you for that one night. It is connected to the school grounds by a tunnel, easy enough to get through while human, but impossible as a wolf. And the tunnel is guarded by what has been christened by the staff as the Whomping Willow, which will ensure that no one and nothing will be able to get in, unless they know how."

"But what if someone finds out?" Remus couldn't help but feel uncomfortable at the thought. He wished his brain would shut up and stop thinking of all the reasons why he shouldn't go. This was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Hogwarts. To go was a dream come true, to get the best education that a young wizard could get, maybe make some friends among his classmates.

"As long as we all follow a procedure, there should be no reason that any of your classmates to suspect anything. All of the professors know, and will help cover for you when you disappear during the one night. And if anyone does findout, we will ensure that they don't tell anyone else."

Remus glanced at each of his parents, neither having said a word since they had sat down. His mother looked worried, yet excited. He knew that it was her dream also, for him to go to Hogwarts. She had always hates how isolated he was from the rest of the wizarding world. His father looked concerned. Out of everyone who knew, he was the one who had both sheltered and feared Remus the most, and he didn't know what he was thinking.

"Can I… can I think on it? I just.. I just need to think," he finally stuttered out.

Dumbledore bowed his head, "of course. Take your time. I hope to hear from you sometime soon." He stood, thanked his mother for the tea and saw himself out, the three of them still sat on the couch.

There was silence between them, until his father suddenly stood and gestured to his mother towards the kitchen, "Hope, can I have a word?" He then walked out of the room without another word.

Hope rubbed his shoulder, "this is a good thing, Remus. This is what we've always wanted for you." She then got up and followed his father into the kitchen, pulling the door closed behind her.

Remus stayed where he was, still staring as the unopened letter. He wanted to go. He really, really wanted to go. It was Hogwarts. Every young witch or wizard longed for the day they got to go there. It was the best wizarding school in the world and they would only get the one chance to go there. It was an experience that everyone went through. Even on the off chance that he could get a job and a life when he was older, he would still be an outsider without the same experiences as those around him. And it was the best education he could possibly get, so even with his condition he could at least have a better chance to get a decent job.

And he really wanted some friends. His parents were brilliant. His mother was nothing but supportive and despite the fear, he knew that his father did love him. But he wanted more than them. Friends his own age, who didn't know about his condition, and would shy away from him every time he got sick or lost his temper. To at least have a chance to pretend to be normal.

But that would only work out if they never found out about what he was. Werewolves were not accepted by the wider wizarding society. They were looked upon as savage, feral creatures who revelled in violence and had no sense of morality. If his classmates found out, they would avoid him, fear him and even possibly attack him. It wasn't unheard of for his kind. He wouldn't be able to stay if that happened. Students would tell their parents, who would complain and get him expelled.

But Dumbledore had promised that it was safe. No one would find out. And everyone knew that Dumbledore was the greatest wizard to have ever lived. He had never met the man before that morning, but he knew his reputation as kind, fair and accepting to all, no matter blood status, 'medical' conditions or school house. And if he couldn't trust Dumbledore, who could he trust?

His mind was made up. He ripped open the letter and scanned it, taking in the information written on the yellowed parchment. He would go. It had to be worth the risk, hadn't it?

Standing, he moved towards the kitchen with the intent to tell his parents about his decision, only to stop at the sound of a whispered argument.

"...this could be his only chance to get into a school. Surely you want him to go, like any normal kid should?"

"He's not normal."

"Lyall!"

"I know it sounds cruel, but he's not. And unless a cure is miraculously discovered in his lifetime, he never will be." Remus heard Lyall pause, before continuing, "I just want to protect him. There is a great risk that he could be found out, and then he could be in danger. You've been his age once, you know that kids can be nasty little buggers when they want to be. And he'll be at risk of bullying with or without his condition. He's a half blood. That means nothing to you and me, but there are plenty of pure blooded families that do and there children will jump at the chance to go for him. He'll be protected by other students and teachers, but if they find out, they will be less willing to protect him. Some will even turn on him."

"How do we know that? Hmm? They might accept him anyway!" Hope sounded close to tears.

"One or two might, but that's not guaranteed. People are prejudice. That's a common fact of life."

"And if no one finds out?"

"Do we want to risk it?"

"I want to." Both of them stopped their conversation as they turned and saw Remus standing in the doorway. "I want to at least try."

"Remus, I don't think you understand…"

"I understand, Dad. I've been treated differently for as long as I can remember. But I want to try to pretend to be normal for as long as I can," Remus stared defiantly at his father, who looked conflicted for several moments before huffing and looking away.

Remus would take that as a win.

He was going to Hogwarts!

~M~


	2. Chapter 2

**1993**

He couldn't believe Dumbledore had lied to him. He had trusted the man, had sworn loyalty to him during the war, and the whole time, he was lying to him.

He hadn't gotten the news that James and Lily had died until a week after it had happened. He had been visiting the werewolf packs, a favour for Dumbledore to gain more allies during the war. He hadn't been home for twenty minutes when the older man had arrived and told him what had happened. The war was over. James and Lily were dead. Peter was dead. Sirius was behind bars in Azkaban. Harry was living with muggle relatives after having been proclaimed the savior of the Wizarding World. The funerals had already been carried out. He had visited their graves. Each time trying to figure out how any of it was possible. How it was possible that three of his friends, his friends, who he had seen only a few weeks prior, perfectly fine, were now somehow buried six feet under where he stood. None of it made sense. Sirius would never betray them. Sirius loved James. They were brothers. And Harry… Sirius loved Harry like he was his own. Spoiled the kid rotten. He would die rather than hurt him. But Sirius was their secret keeper. He was there when the decision was made, if not for the casting of the charm itself. It even said so in the Potter's will: Sirius Black was the secret keeper.

Or, that's what Dumbledore said.

It never made any sense to him. It was too out of character that Sirius - the man who had dedicated his life to fighting against Voldemort, to bringing down his followers, to protecting the Light, turning against everything that his family had forced down his throat from the moment of birth, - had become a Death Eater. It just didn't add up.

But he couldn't think of what else could have possibly happened. He had asked questions, hundreds of them, but no answer could explain the events that had occured that Halloween night. Dumbledore would only repeat the same story, over and over again. And if he couldn't trust Dumbledore, who could he trust?

Maybe one of the few people still alive who knew as well as he did how close that James and Sirius had been. But that trust wasn't guaranteed. But, he decided, it was worth the risk. Even if he ended up with a hex to the face in the process.

That's how Remus found himself standing on the doorstep of the last house on Spinner's End, in the rain, clutching a soden copy of the Daily Prophet. Asking for help from a man that would most likely want him dead.

~M~

"What do you want, Wolf?"

Severus Snape's voice was deeply laced with pure loathing as he took in the sight of one of his childhood tormentors standing in front of him.

"I need to talk to you, Severus."

"Then write a letter! That way you'll be easier to ignore! Now get out of here!" Snape grabbed the door and went to slam it into the wolf's face, but said man reached out and slammed his hand against the wood, stopping its movement.

"Did Dumbledore lie to me about how Lily died!"

"What?!"

"Dumbledore. He lied to me about Peter. I need to know if he lied about Lily, James and Sirius too."

Snape narrowed his eyes, judging him slightly. Then, with a frustrated snarl, yanked the door fully open and jerked his head inwards, a silent but reluctant invitation. Although he couldn't help the flash of amusement when the wolf stumbled and fell slightly, having still been holding onto the door when he had pulled it.

The years hadn't been kind to Lupin, Snape noticed with grim satisfaction. Although the same age as him, the other man appeared about ten years older, his sandy hair lined with grey, deep bags under his eyes and his muggle clothes worn and patched from years of use. The only thing about him that didn't appear old in any way were the fresh, angry red scars carved into his skin, overlapping slightly older, but no less deep, white and pink scars underneath. Lupin stood in the middle of his living room, pushing wet hair out of his eyes and looking around, but his eyes held a slightly vacant look, like he didn't really see his own surroundings. It was a look that Snape recognised from their school days, Lupin was in very deep thought and it had often resulted in him being labelled an easy target back them and often resulting in him being hexed by either Snape or one of his friends.

"How did you find out where I live?" he demanded.

Lupin snapped out of his trance like state and focused on him, "This is a muggle neighborhood. You're in their phone book."

Snape snarled slightly. Of course Lupin would think to check the muggle records. Most wizards didn't. He would need to get that sorted, no need to be at risk of any more surprise guests. "Well, go on then. Explain yourself. And be quick about it, I would very much like to go back to hating your very existence in peace."

"Fine," Lupin snapped, "Peter Pettigrew is still alive."

"And you know this how?"

"Because he was in yesterday's newspaper," Lupin held out the newspaper, but Snape didn't take it.

"Tell me, Lupin. Are you aware of how idiotic you sound?"

Lupin rolled his eyes and brandished the soggy paper at him again.

Snape sighed, but snatched the paper out of his hand, knowing he wouldn't get any answers unless he played along. He looked down at the photograph on the open page. "Lupin, have you been at the firewhiskey? That's just the Weasley's and their broad. Trust me, I've taught all the young ones. None of them are secretly a thirty year old man."

"I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about the rat on the youngest boys shoulder. That's Peter."

"You're drunk, aren't you?"

"No, no. Peter's an animagus. All three of them were. They did it so that they could join me during the full moon."

"That imbecile had enough talent to become an animagus?"

"Well, James and Sirius helped."

"Well, that explains that."

"I'm being serious. Really I am. That's how they were able to get around the castle so much. Peter was small enough to get anywhere he wanted. And the castle is full of rats, no one ever noticed him. Sirius is a dog and James was a stag."

"I guess that's why you never tried to kill them like you did me."

"Oh, shut up," Lupin snapped, "That was years ago, and you know that I had nothing to do with that fucking prank. Grow up."

"Don't make me kick you out, Lupin. You still haven't explained how Dumbledore supposedly lied to you. Or what Lily has to do with any of this."

Lupin growled slightly, sounding much more like the beast that lurked within than a man, but dropped himself onto the couch, "Because Dumbledore told me that he had seen Peter's body himself."

"I didn't say sit down."

"How could he have seen the body if he's still alive?"

"You're rambling. Start from the beginning." Snape sat himself down in his armchair in a much more dignified manner than Lupin had.

Lupin sighed, "Ok. I arrived home about a week after Halloween, Dumbledore had sent me to talk to the werewolf packs to try and get them on our side. Dumbledore arrived shortly after I got in to tell me the news. I didn't believe him initially. Nothing about the story made sense. So I asked to see them. I assumed that there would be an investigation, this was a murder case, so their bodies would still be stored somewhere. But the funerals had already been carried out, they were buried. Open and shut case, he said. Dumbledore assured me multiple times that he had seen the bodies himself. All three of them. He said himself that Peter's body had been recovered from the wreckage in the street after Sirius supposedly blew it up. That it was proof of Sirius' crimes."

"And now you're saying this is impossible as Pettigrew is in the paper?"

"Yes," Lupin urged, "I saw him transform hundreds of times. Its him. How could Dumbledore have seen the dead body of a man who is still alive."

Snape frowned at him for a second, then peered at the photograph of the rat, silent for several minutes.

"What is it?"

"Dumbledore told me a different story."

"What?"

"It was pretty much the same, only…"

"Only what?"

"Only Pettigrews body was never found. All that was found was a finger." He peered at the picture again. "The rat is missing a toe on its front paw. You can see it here. And I've seen the rat in person a few times. It belonged to one of the other boys before the youngest one. It's old, too. At least seven years. That's longer than even magical rats live."

"So Dumbledore's been lying to one of us. And going by the picture, It's me. Why would he lie?"

"I don't know." Snape looked up and narrowed his eyes. "Why are you coming to me with this? There are many others I could think you'd go to."

"Because you are one of the few people still alive that knows just how close James and Sirius were. Plus, there is the added bonus that you are the closest person to Dumbledore who may have any doubts. You may have hated them, but can you really think for a second that Sirius would join the Death Eaters? You're association with them was the reason he was so mean to you in the first place."

"That and the fact that he was a cruel little…"

"Hey, you didn't exactly come out of Hogwarts smelling like daffodils and roses. You were just as bad. Point is, Sirius always hated Voldemort. Why would he join him?"

"He wouldn't," Snape responded without hesitation.

"You really believe that?"

"I've always believed that. I just didn't have another story to go on, so I just accepted it."

"Same. So why the fuck would Dumbledore lie?"

Snape furrowed his brow, "Maybe… No."

"Maybe no what?"

"It's just… Ok, what do you know about prophecies?"

"That the majority of them are bullshit."

""Yes, I believe that to. I thought that Dumbledore and the Dark Lord were as well. But one day, twelve years ago, a seer made a prophecy about the Dark Lord and a child. About how the child would grow to become the only person who could defeat him. I don't remember the exact wording, but the description of the child matched up to two children, Potter and the Longbottoms boy. The Dark Lord dismissed the prophecy at first, but then decided to target one of them. He went for Potter, I don't know why him instead of Longbottom. But the thing is, Dumbledore believed it too. And he invested all his energy into it. He was the one to suggest the Fidelius Charm to the Potters. He wanted to be Secret Keeper. He wasn't happy when they rejected him, I think he wanted complete control of the situation."

"You think he wanted to ensure it was carried out?"

"Either way, it was. The Dark Lord was defeated that night, whether he's dead or not was another question. Dumbledore knows he isn't. But the thing is, Dumbledore has complete control over the boy right now. All decisions regarding Potter are made by him."

"As opposed to Sirius, who would have complete control if he was free," said Lupin, catching on.

"Yes," Snape seemed to hesitate for a moment, before speaking again, "There have been… incidents at Hogwarts since Potter began."

"What do you mean?"

"Students being attacked. Monsters roaming the halls. One or two attempts on his life."

"WHAT!"

"And I believe at least some of it was set up by Dumbledore."

Lupin did a rather impressive imitation of a fish for a few seconds, before choking out a slightly strangled, "Explain."

"Have you ever heard of the Philosopher's Stone?"

"Yeah, what…?"

"Dumbledore hid it at Hogwarts during Potter's first year. He hid it under a trap door on the third floor, along with several traps, each set by each teacher, myself included. But, you see, he went through all the traps that we went through and insisted we changed them. The traps he agreed on were all of the minimum security. We said they weren't strong enough, and we were right. Potter and his friends, one of which is the Weasley boy, I might add, went down there and managed to get through them all. Potter and Weasley were both injured, but they got through. These were traps that were supposed to keep out dark wizards, and three first years managed to get through. And Dumbledore knew that someone was after it. That someone just so happened to be the Defense teacher, who was possessed by the Dark Lord himself."

"Voldemort…" Lupin looked quite faint at that.

"Yes. And I remember the look on Dumbledore's face when he found out that Potter had gone after the Stone. He was ecstatic. He tried to hide it, but I saw, he was. He wanted him to get through, and he wanted him to encounter the Dark Lord."

"He was testing him."

"I believe so."

"Fuck."

"It doesn't stop there. Last year, we had four students attacked. They were petrified by a basilisk."

"And how does a basilisk get into the castle?"

"It was already there. It had been there since the Dark Lord was a student. It was used then to attack students too. Actually killed one, the same one that currently haunts the girls toilets on the second floor."

"And Harry is involved with this how?"

"Because everyone thought he did it. The boy's a Parselmouth, an ability that he shared with the whole school. Most of the school accused him of doing it, up until a friend of his became one of the victims. They weren't all stupid enough to think he would attack her. But the thing is, Dumbledore didn't do anything about it. He allowed him to be bullied. And later on, the Ministry arrested Hagrid for it, as he was blamed last time, and had Dumbledore removed from the school. Dumbledore barely fought them. He just went along with it. He left the school while all the attacks were happening."

"Hagrid was blamed last time?"

"Yes. Apparently he had a dangerous animal in the school while he was a student. An acromantula. He was only a third year, and a student from a higher year tattled on him."

"An acromantula can't petrify people. I get that he would be in trouble for having it in the castle, but not for the attacks."

"They just wanted to be seen doing something, obviously. Again, Dumbledore allowed it. He managed to get Hagrid a job at the castle, but he didn't do anything to stop the expulsion, the same as how he didn't stop the arrest. He has the power to do it."

"The Ministry found out the truth though, didn't they. Hagrid's not still in Azkaban, is he?"

"No. It wasn't the Ministry. They didn't even investigate. Fudge himself arriving to take Hagrid away was the first I heard of any involvement. They also took Dumbledore's word alone that the attacks had stopped and let Hagrid out at the end of the year. And I didn't hear anything of a trial for him. It was Potter that stopped the attacks. But like his first year, I don't know any of the details about what happened. All I know is that the Dark Lord had reportedly kidnapped the Weasley girl and taken her down to the Chamber of Secrets and Potter and Weasley followed to find her, along with the idiot of a Defense teacher we had that year. The three of them returned a few hours later with the girl, covered in blood and dirt and the idiots memories missing. They went and spoke to Dumbledore for a bit, the Weasley's were dismissed, I remember seeing them in the corridor after, and Potter stayed to talk to the Headmaster some more. I don't know why or what happened. Although I think Lucius Malfoy may have been involved somehow. I saw him leaving the castle cursing Potter's name."

"So you're saying that Harry has been at Hogwarts for only two years, and he has managed to encounter Voldemort twice in that time?" Lupin looked like he was going to tear his own hair out. Or maybe track down Dumbledore and tear out his.

"That I know of."

"And these might have all been a set up for Dumbledore to test him."

"Most likely."

"All this time, Dumbledore has been.. been…" Lupin trailed off slightly, caught up in his own anger, "Been fucking grooming him for a bloody prophecy."

"We don't know that for certain," Snape snapped, years of having to defend the Headmaster kicking in.

"Can you think of any other reason why he would behave that way. It would explain why he would allow Sirius to go to Azkaban for a murder he didn't commit. So that he could get to Harry." Lupin stood and began to pace back and forth.

"Why would Black try to keep Dumbledore away from Potter? Black was part of the Order. He was one of Dumbledore's followers."

"Not always. He was always questioning him. He was never a blind follower. And as immature as he could be at times, he would always put Harry first. He adored him like he was his own. He would never put Harry in danger."

"So Dumbledore would need to get rid of him," Snaped nodded in realisation. "So what really happened to Lily, Potter and Pettigrew that night?"

"I don't know. But we know that one of them definitely didn't die. Do we know that Lily and James are gone for certain?"

"Yes." Snape faltered slightly, before admitting, "I saw them both myself."

He wanted to curse that look of pity that suddenly appeared on Lupin's face. "Don't look at me like that. With them both gone, we know that something must have happened. Are we certain that Black was the Secret Keeper?"

"I was there when the decision to cast the charm was made. That was the plan at the time, but I wasn't there when it was carried out."

"So something else could have happened after you left."

"Possibly."

"Could Pettigrew have been the Secret Keeper instead?"

"What?" Lupin looked confused, before his eyes widened in realisation, "That would make more sense than Sirius betraying anybody. I don't like to speak ill of an old friend, but Peter was always a bit cowardly. We always had to protect him, if Voldemort threatened him or something…"

"I think he was more drawn to power than cowardly."

"How so?"

"Well," Snape thought back to their school days, "When you three weren't around, he used to spend a lot of time with a few members of my house. Lucius, Bellatrix, the Lestrange brothers. Crouch. They would often offer him money in exchange for information about the three of you so that they could ambush you. I think they recognised that you might be a threat to them during the upcoming war. There's always a chance that this arrangement continued after school."

"And Voldemort was winning during that last year. He would have been the most powerful person to side with." Lupin slumped back down in his seat.

"And by handing over Potter, therefore aiding the Dark Lord in winning the war, Pettigrew would have been sitting comfortably once he was victorious," Snape looked back down at the newspaper, "A rat is fitting. So, what is going to be done about it?"

Lupin looked at him in surprise, "You'll help me?"

"It looks like this rat is the reason why the woman I… my best friend is dead. We may not have been on good terms since we were fifteen, but I never stopped caring about her. The knowledge that the Dark Lord was hunting her was the reason I turned spy in the first place," he admitted. "I may hate Black and James Potter with every fiber of my being, but this rat is walking free and a threat to Lily's son. He's spent the past two years sleeping in the same dorm as him. And if the Dark Lord does return to full power, what's to stop him from handing Potter over."

Lupin studied him for a moment, but then nodded, "So we need to find out exactly what happened that night. Somehow. I don't think the Weasley's would accept us just arriving at the Burrow and poking around their son's rat."

"Is there anyone else who knew that Pettigrew was as animagus. Someone who could identify him?"

"Why couldn't I?"

Snape rolled his eyes, "You're a werewolf, Lupin. The Ministry will sooner believe that you're trying to get an old Death Eater friend out of prison. The same with myself. We are both as bad as an active Death Eater as far as they are concerned, I'm afraid."

Lupin huffed, "Then what?"

Snape thought for a moment, before a lightbulb went off, "What did their will say? Those under a Fidelis are required to identify their Secret Keeper in their will, just in case."

"Dumbledore told me that Sirius was listed as Secret Keeper."

"Do you know if it was filed at the Ministry or Gringotts?"

"Gringotts."

"Then there is no way that he had access to the will, unless they left him something. The goblins only read the will out to those to whom it leaves items to. And if there is a next of kin, they have to be there to witness and oversee. Potter wouldn't have been old enough for that until he turned eleven. Dumbledore couldn't have told you the contents of that will until two years ago."

"And he told me the night I got back," Lupin jumped up again and paced once more, "We need to go to Gringotts. Do you think the goblins can tell us anything. Would they even want to."

"If you've been left anything, they'll tell you what you got. They can also tell you if the will has been opened prior, as that doesn't reveal anything confidential. To hear its full contents, however, you'll need Potter present. If the will hasn't been opened prior, you can always tell them that someone has been acting out a false will. The goblins wouldn't take kindly to that. They are cruel, greedy little buggers, but they have their rules and don't take kindly to people breaking them. Leave out Dumbledore's name for now. Best not do anything to draw attention to ourselves just yet." Snape stood and handed back the newspaper, "I'm going back to the castle. There's something I need to check. I'll meet you back here tomorrow afternoon. I'll fill you in then."

Lupin raised an eyebrow, but didn't push his luck. He was lucky that Snape was even helping him. Shoving the crumpled, sodden paper into his pocket, he turned and let himself out. Out on the front porch, he barely registered the rain that still fell from the sky as he moved to find a less public place to apparate. He had certainly found himself an unusual ally. He just hoped his decision to come to Snape for help wouldn't come back to haunt him.

~M~

**A/N. I know Snape may seem a little bit OCC, but I'm taking a bit of creative license with the character for plot purposes. But I feel that he would listen if Lily was somehow involved, hence why Remus would bring her up immediately. The same goes with how Wizarding and Goblin laws work, although I will try to follow what we see in the books to some extent. **

**Both Remus and Snape have gaps in the knowledge that either of them have been privy to, as there is no indication that Remus was given all of the information about what happened in Godric's Hollow that night in '81. Or that Snape had intimate information about everything that happened to Harry during year one and two. However Snape did attend Hogwarts with James and Sirius for seven years, and really should know first hand how close they were and how much Sirius hated the Death Eaters, (Snape being a Death Eater is one of the reason's Sirius distrusts him so much), so I feel that he would have doubts about what happened. **

**To any readers of my other story, 'Another World', don't worry, I haven't abandoned it. **


	3. Chapter 3

**October 1980 **

**Godric's Hollow.**

"_Guy's, what's going on?" Remus looked around at his friends confused. Sirius was draped in the loveseat opposite him, a serious look on his face that Remus had unfortunately been seeing a lot more of recently during the war effort. A jumpy Peter was squashed next to him on the sofa, eyes bouncing between the other people in the room, like he expected one of them to lunge and attack him at any moment. James and Lily stood in front of the fireplace, worry gracing their youthful features. A fire crackled behind them, the only other sound in the room. _

"_Well," James said hesitantly, looking between Lily and Sirius, "There is something that the three of us need to tell the pair of you. Lily and I have decided that we need to go into hiding."_

"_Ok," Remus looked at them with a raised eyebrow, "Can I ask why? It's just, that's not really like you."_

"_Well, with this spy selling our secrets, we feel it might be the best option. As you know, Marlene and her family were, well, lost, only a few months ago from their own safe house. The Death Eaters knew where to find them, and with Benjy and the Prewitt's dead and Caradoc missing as well, it's clear they are targeting members of the Order. And with Harry, we need to think about him. Marlene's kid was only a little older than he is now. They're not discriminating against who they kill."_

"_Why now? You've been fine this past year."_

"_Dumbledore. It was his idea. And we've decided that we agree with him."_

"_Not like he gave a bloody reason, either," Sirius spoke up, scowling._

"_Sirius…"_

"_I just think that if Dumbledore's so certain that you need to hide, he should at least explain why."_

"_I think it's because we have Harry," said Lily, "He gave the same advice to Alice and Frank because of Neville."_

_Sirius pursed his lips, but didn't say anything else. _

"_So, how exactly are you going to do this? As you said, there's a spy in the Order. How do you know they won't just find out where you are and tell Voldemort?"_

"_We're going to use the Fidelius Charm. Again, Dumbledore's idea. It's the best option. It's a complex charm, but I'm sure I can do it."_

"_Right," Remus glanced at Peter, who remained silent, before looking between the other three, "Which one of you will be the secret keeper?"_

"_Sirius," said James, "Dumbledore wanted to do it, he offered for Alice and Frank as well, but they wanted Augusta instead. And we feel Sirius will be able to do the job just fine. One of us would have done it, but then to share the secret safely would involve having to go out the house. Sirius is one of the strongest members of the Order and involved in the war effort, so he'll be able to come and go as he pleases. He's the most obvious option."_

"_Not that we don't trust you two," added Lily quickly, "It's just with your missions, you're always gone, and Peter, well, no offense but…"_

"_I get it," said Peter quickly, his voice slightly high pitched, that made Remus think that he didn't really like it. _

"_So, when are you going to cast the charm?" Remus asked, quickly changing the subject._

"_Tonight. We'll like for the two of you to pay us a visit at around nine, that way we can see if you can find us to check. If you're not here by ten, Sirius will come out and meet you and give you the secret."_

_Remus nodded in agreement, and when he returned with Peter to Godric's Hollow that night, sure enough, neither could find the Potter's home until Sirius came out to meet them. They were safe. No one would find them._

~M~

**July 1993**

**Gringotts Bank.**

Of course, Peter could have easily pretended that he couldn't see the house. It's not like he would have known any better. At the time, he would have argued that there was no way that Peter could hide something that obvious, but if what Snape had said was true, then he was clearly a better liar than he had given him credit for. They had split ways shortly after leaving the house, it wasn't outside the realm of possibility for Peter to have just circled back to be there for the charm. And he wasn't the most obvious choice. The only question was, why hadn't they told him?

Remus shifted slightly in the hard wooden seat as he waited for the Potter Account Manager to arrive. It wasn't like the Goblins to be late. When he had arrived at Gringotts, he had asked one of the tellers to speak to Griphook - (he really hoped that the Goblin was still in charge of the Potter accounts) - only to be immediately hurried into one of the offices to wait only seconds after identifying himself. He wondered if that was a sign that something was wrong with the accounts. The Goblins never kept clients waiting, as much as they despised wizards, they were always professional when it came to business. Quick and to the point, no dicking about.

Shifting again, trying to get somewhat comfortable, he tried to think of someone who they could turn to for help. As Snape had said, a werewolf and a former Death Eater weren't going to get very far against Dumbledore. Not legally at least, although he doubted they would get anywhere illegally either. He mentally went through a list of people who had known that James, Sirius and Peter were animagi, who could identify the rat for them. Lily was gone. Alice and Frank had been told, although they had never seen them transform as far as Remus was aware, but they were in no condition to say anything. He wondered if their will had been carried out. If his memory of the night James and Lily had cast their own charm was right, then Lily had said that Dumbledore had wanted to be the Longbottom's secret keeper. That would mean that they would have been under the Fidelus, and the only way the Lestranges and Crouch could have found them would have been if the charm had been removed very early after Voldemort's defeat, which was highly unlikely. Despite the early celebrations, everyone was still on edge. Maybe Frank's mother could tell him what happened? She was a member of the Wizengamot and would be a powerful ally. He would speak to Snape, see if he could convince the other man to go and talk to her. If it turned out Peter was the spy, then there could be Merlin knows how many Death Eaters who knew. But it wasn't like they could go ask them. He tried to think of someone else who knew, but he was drawing a blank.

The sound of the door banging open startled him and he looked up to the sight of Griphook storming into the room. Not a good sign. The goblin's brow was curved into a scowl as he took in the sight of him, looking him up and down before scanning the room.

"Where's the boy?"

Remus couldn't hide his confusion, "Boy?"

"Yes, boy," the goblin said condescendingly, "You know. Potter, the boy you are supposed to be looking after. Where is he?"

"With his guardians, I'm guessing. Why would he be with me?"

Griphook blinked at him, "What?"

"Harry's never lived with me. He lives with his Aunt and Uncle, and has done since Lily and James died."

"Is this the same Aunt and Uncle that the Potters specifically declared that he should be kept away from?"

"I believe so. Petunia and Vernon Dursley. I didn't even know that I was on the list of people to take him."

Griphook raised an eyebrow, "Well, you were their fourth choice, because of your condition. And as the other three are unavailable, he should be with you. Why is he not?"

"I was out of the country when James and Lily died, I only got news of their death a week after it happened. Harry was already with the Dursley's by then. I tried to get in contact with them, but I never got a response and was unable to find out where they lived to visit. I even tried finding them through muggle means, but they were nowhere." Well, it looked like he wouldn't need to convince them about the fake will after all. That sure did make things easier.

Griphook looked even more pissed now. Goblins didn't take people messing with their clients lightly.

"This is actually part of the reason why I'm here. I wanted to know if the Potter's Will has been opened yet."

"It hasn't," Griphook looked insulted, "I would never open it without Potter present. That's the way it works. The only thing I can tell you is what has been left to you."

"I was left something?"

Griphook nodded and moved to sit at the desk opposite Remus. He dug around in a draw and produced a thick parchment envelope. Opening it, he pulled out a large stack of papers. Even from his seat, Remus could read the loopy writing printed on the top page:

**THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT**

**OF**

**JAMES FLEAMONT POTTER**

**AND **

**LILY GERALDINE POTTER (nee EVENS)**

"They filed it two days before their death. Gringotts are the ones with the responsibility to execute it, but it's been a bit difficult to do that as we've been unable to contact anyone in it. We sent letters and tried a few home visits, but we couldn't track anyone down," Griphook said idly as he went through the pages.

"I'm guessing that's why you were so pissed at me when I got here."

"You think?" Griphook snapped, before pausing, "Here we go. 'To Remus John Lupin, we leave the trust that you will care for our son, Harry James Potter, in the event of our death and the deaths of those previously designated guardians. In the event that you do become guardian, you shall receive the balance of One Thousand Galleons per month until Harry Potter turns seventeen years of age, to pay for the upkeep of his care. We also leave you ten percent of the Potter wealth and Blackwater House, to ensure that you will be comfortable for years to come after our deaths.'" Griphook looked up at him, "I'll have the money and property settlements arranged after this meeting."

Remus just stared at the will, dumbstruck. To most, ten percent wouldn't sound like much, but the Potter's were a wealthy family, being members or the Wizengamot, members of a long line of pure-blood wizards and owners of a few valuable businesses. Ten percent was a very generous amount. He most definitely would be living comfortably. And Blackwater House was one of the nicest of the Potter's properties, having been built in a muggle village by the coast in the nineteen thirties. "Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks." A thought caught his mind, "I'm assuming that that thousand Galleons a month will go to whoever takes care of him. Does that mean the Dursley's are getting that money?"

"Must be. The money disappears from the Potter vault at the beginning of each month."

"Well, no wonder they were willing to take him in. So, the fact that Harry was sent to live with them, and they are receiving the money, that would mean that someone has been acting out a false will, would it not?"

"It would. And I assure you, I will be looking into it. The person responsible for this has hell to pay. We've been led to believe that it was either you or one of Potter's other designated guardians taking it. The Dursley's aren't his legal guardians, there's no paperwork filled out. He'll need to be removed from them quickly. Do you want him, or shall I contact one of the other guardians?"

Remus frowned, "None of the other guardians are available, are they? Sirius is in Azkaban, Peter's dead and the Longbottoms are in Mungo's."

"No. After you, the Potter's choice was the Tonks family. He can live with them if you are unwilling to take him in."

Remus' first thought was an immediate 'I'll take him!', but then he hesitated. By the looks of it, he was about to get in a lot of trouble with Dumbledore and the Ministry. Add in his condition, if everything went wrong then there was a high chance that he and Snape may end up sharing Sirius' cell with him. There was also the added fact that he didn't have the most stable life. Even with the Potter's money, he would still need a job. And he wasn't liable to be around much, Harry would need someone who could help him, explain what was going on and give him some form of comfort. The Tonks' would be able to give him that. And if they managed to get Sirius cleared, well, Andromeda would be the only family he could turn to. Plus, she could teach Harry about the Wizengamot, as he would be expected to sit in on it when he was old enough. He didn't really know much about politics, but Andy had been raised with politics forced down her throat. Ted was a good connection to the muggle world, plus he was sure Dora would be happy to play big sister, at least for a little while. He had only met her a handful of times when she was small, but he remembered Sirius telling the rest of the Marauders about how she was constantly nagging her parents for a little brother or sister.

"I think that the Tonks' are the best option for now. I'm not really in any position to take in a child right now."

"Right. We'll approach them and talk to them about it."

Remus suddenly felt a lightbulb go off in his head. Andromeda hadn't known that the Marauders were animagi, only his condition, but maybe he could convince her to pretend. She was close enough to Sirius that she could be believed, and respected enough that some would listen. He just hoped that she also believed in Sirius' innocence.

"You said that you've been having trouble contacting everyone in the will, including the Tonks', am I correct."

Griphook curled his lip, but nodded.

"I'm having no such issues. I've been needing to talk to Andromeda anyway for a while now, if you don't mind, I can let them know of the situation and have them come and talk to you. As one of Harry's designated guardians that isn't currently indisposed, I would have the right to do that, wouldn't I?"

Griphook slowly nodded again.

"And considering the fact that you really need to investigate this false will that is currently being carried out, I'm sure that you would really appreciate me taking an extra chore off your hands, don't you. After all, if Harry's guardianship is being ignored, who knows what else in that will is."

Griphook narrowed his eyes and glanced between Remus, the will and back again, before raising a clawed finger and pointing at him threateningly, "If you're trying anything, Lupin, I'll have you sealed in one of the chambers downstairs with one of the dragons. Do you hear me? Why should I trust you?"

Remus shrugged and looked the goblin in the eye, "I guess I'll just have to hope that you think I have an honest face. I want Harry to be safe, that's all. And due to this false will, I don't feel that he is safe, do you?"

Griphook eyed him for a few more moments, before nodding, "Your help would be appreciated. I'll arrange to have the required benefactions sent to your vault."

Remus grinned, "Thank you, Griphook."

The goblin growled and turned his attention to the will once more, ignoring him in favour of his new tasks.

Remus took that as his cue to leave.

Quick, to the point, no dicking about. Yep, that was the gobins.

~M~


End file.
